Cliff Notes on Genesis (From an Atheist)

Cliff Notes on Genesis (From an Atheist)

This is the first post in my attempt to read the entire Bible. It might be my last. I’m not being dramatic, I’m just kind of ADHD when it comes to writing. I’ll probably get bored and do something else for a really long time and then finally do another book. Expectations, people: I’m managing them.

Genesis is a good place to start. No one sets about to read Harry Potter and starts on book four! So, I’ll start with Genesis (again) even though I’ve started with Genesis a dozen times or more when I was a Christian. Some of the best stories are in Genesis anyway. If you believe the Old Testament was literal, these stories are insane and disturbing. If you think the OT was an allegory, then these stories are quite interesting, maybe even charming, with a lesson to be learned.

Who wrote Genesis? Traditionally, the book is attributed to Moses. That’s a nice and neat attribution, but “the majority of biblical scholars accept the theory that the Torah does not have a single author, and that its composition took place over centuries.” I’m not here to dig into the how the book came to be in existence, the point is, it is. Read more on the subject: Mosaic authorship. I’m here to simply read the book and offer the cliff notes from my perspective.

Let’s begin.

Author: MosesLiterary Stye: LegendaryDate: ? – 1445 B.C.E.

Chapter 1

God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Chapter 2

God creates Adam. Image Source: Wikipedia

“You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” –God

Cliff notes: Creation is complete, and on the seventh day, God rests. God creates the first man from the dust. (I don’t really understand this because I thought mankind was already created in the last chapter.) God plants the Garden of Eden with a tree of knowledge in the middle. God creates a helper for man. Adam names all the animals.

Chapter 3

“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.” –God

Cliff notes: The serpent tempts the woman into eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. The woman gives the fruit to her husband. The pair see their nakedness for the first time and they cover themselves. God finds them in the garden, discovers their disobedience, and curses mankind. Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden.

My takeaways: God creates a curious species (mankind); and then punishes them for their curiosity. The serpent is actually kind of a good guy, because he is encouraging humanity to get in touch with their intellect.

Chapter 4

Eve mourning her son, Abel. Image source: Wikipedia

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” –God

Cliff notes: The first sons Cain (farmer) and Abel (shepherd) are born. The two offer the fruits of their labor to God. God is pleased with Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. Cain is angry and kills his brother in a jealous rage. Cain is cursed by God. Cain’s genealogy, and his descendant’s accomplishments. Adam has another son, Seth.

Key places, names and events: Land of Nod, City of Enoch.

My questions: God has not officially laid the groundwork for his law, so I am not clear on how mankind is supposed to know what is good and evil. Is it supposed to be innate? Adam and Eve ate the fruit, so now we’re all supposed to know what kind of sacrifice God prefers? Does God enjoy doling out justice and punishment on his creations?

My takeaways: In order to get God’s blessing I have to do what he wants or else my entire family line will be cursed.

Chapter 5

“Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.”

Genealogy from Adam to Noah. Trivia: Methuselah is the oldest man in the bible.

Chapter 6

Animals entering the ark. Image source: Wikimedia

“I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” –God

Cliff notes: God is troubled by the wickedness of mankind and endeavors to start over by killing every living thing on the earth. Noah and his family is the exception. God tells Noah to build an ark to shelter his family and to save a pair of every kind of animal.

My takeaways: God is a raging, murderous maniac. He has decided to kill every person on the earth except for Noah and his family. That includes, women, children, and infants! God regrets that he has made us! What makes him think that starting over is going to make it any better??

Chapter 7

All of humanity drowning to death. Image Source: Wikimedia.

Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.

Cliff notes: God tells Noah to gather pairs of clean and unclean animals into the ark. All of the animals and Noah’s family is shut safely inside the ark. God sends rain for forty days, and floods the earth. Everything on land dies.

Chapter 8

Animals exiting the ark. Image Source: Wikimedia

“Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” –God

Cliff notes: The floodwaters recede, and the arks comes to rest upon the mountains of Ararat. Noah sends out a raven and a dove to search for dry land. After a few tries, the dove returns to the ark with an olive branch in its beak. The dove is sent out again and does not return. The ark is on land, and the animals and family exit the ark. Noah offers a sacrifice to God. God promises to never destroy the earth again.

Key places, names and events: Mountains of Ararat

My takeaways: God states that every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood, and the great flood has not changed this fact, so what was the point of killing everyone? Also, If we’re going to take this story literally and apply earthly physics to it, I don’t understand how the dove could have returned with an olive branch. Did the branch come from debris floating on the water or from a tree that was underwater that still managed to survive for 150 days?

Chapter 9

Cliff notes: God gives the earth to Noah and his family, telling him to be fruitful and multiply. God gives his first law against murder. God establishes a covenant with Noah (‘I will never send a flood to destroy the earth’). The rainbow is a symbol of the covenant. Noah’s sons multiply the earth. Noah grows a vineyard. Noah becomes drunk and lays in his tent, naked. His youngest son Ham discovers him and tattles to his brothers. Shem and Japheth discreetly go inside and cover their father. Noah curses Ham (Canaan) and praises his other two sons.

Key places, names and events: (Tribe) Canaan

My takeaways: Noah, for being such an righteous man, and worthy of being spared, is off to a great start by getting drunk and lying around naked (which is apparently bad).

Chapter 10

“The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan”

Cliff notes: Noah’s sons go on to father the nations of the known world.

Chapter 11

The tower of Babel. Image Source: Wikipedia

“If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” –God

Cliff notes: The world has one common language. The world decides to collaborate together and build a tower that reaches to the heavens. God is threatened by their ability. God confuses all of the workers by striking them with different languages so they will not understand one another, and therefore cannot complete the tower. The account of Shem’s family line.

My takeaways: God is an insecure asshole. He sees his creations making something great of themselves, and shits all over their project. God’s gonna cut you down.

Chapter 12

Sarai Is Taken to Pharaoh’s Palace. Image Source: Wikipedia

…the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

Cliff notes: God calls Abram from his home to give him a new land. There is a famine in the land, and Abram goes to Egypt for a short time. Abram fears that the Egyptians will see his beautiful wife, kill him, and take his wife. Abram decides to call Sarai his sister to avoid his death. The Egyptians do see Sarai and tells the Pharaoh about her. He invites both Abram and Sarai to his palace. God inflicts disease on the Pharaoh. Pharaoh discovers Sarai is actually Abram’s wife and is upset. Pharaoh orders Abram to leave. Read another humorous retelling of this story: She Works Hard for the Money.

Key places, names and events: Moreh at Shechem, Bethel, Ai, Negev

My takeaways: Well, we can hardly blame Abram for his faults, he is human after all. But I don’t really get why Pharaoh should be punished because Abram lied to him.

Chapter 13

Abram & Lot Seperate. Image Source: Wikipedia

Their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.

Cliff notes: Abram moves back to the promised land again. Abram and Lot’s tribes get so big that they decide to separate. Abram stays in Canaan, and Lot to Sodom. God promises Abram all the land he can see to his descendants.

Chapter 14

“I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’” —Abram

Cliff notes: Nine kings go to war. The king of Sodom is involved in the rebellion (an alliance of 5 kings) against Kedorlaomer (an alliance of 4 kings). During the battle the king of Sodom runs away, leaving his city and goods vulnerable. Lot is captured. Abram gathers a group of men to rescue Lot, his possessions, and people. Abram defeats Kedorlaomer. The king of Sodom offers Abram the spoils of war, which Abram refuses.

Chapter 15

Cliff notes: Abram questions God, “Why have you not given me children?”. God again promises Abram numberless heirs. God instructs Abram to perform a sacrifice. Abram sleeps, and in his dream, God foretells of Abram’s offspring’s enslavement. God promises land to Abram’s offspring.

Chapter 16

Sarai leading Hagar to Abraham. Image Source: Wikimedia

“[Ishmael’s] hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” —God

Cliff notes: Sarai instructs Abram to sleep with a slave (Hagar) to produce an heir. Hagar despises Sarai. Sarai mistreats Hagar and Hagar runs away. An angel of the Lord instructs Hagar to return and fortells of her son. Ishmael is born.

Key places, names and events: Shur

My takeaways: I am sympathetic to the longing for a child, so much so that you’d encourage your husband to give you a surrogate family through a slave, but Sarai was being a bitch by not following through on her plan and essentially driving Hagar away.

Chapter 17

“Every male among you shall be circumcised.” —God

Cliff notes: God again promises Abram numerous offspring (he’s 99 by now). God makes a covenant with Abram, and declares his new name to be Abraham. Every male in Abraham’s family is to be circumcised, and all future generations as well. Sarai becomes Sarah. God promises she will have a son (she’s 90 now), and he will be named Isaac. Abraham circumcises his household.

Chapter 18

“I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” —God

Cliff notes: The Lord appears to Abraham in the form of three men visiting. Abraham offers them refreshment. The visitors tell Abraham that Sarah will have a son within a year. Sarah overhears this and laughs to herself. The visitors hear Sarah’s laugh and calls her out on it, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The Lord goes on his way toward Sodom, a city full of sin. The Lord wishes to destroy it, but Abraham pleads for the righteous people that could still be living within. If the Lord can find 10 righteous people, he will spare Sodom.

My takeaways: Is God not omniscient? Why does he have to visit Sodom himself to know whether or not they deserve to be destroyed?

Chapter 19

Lot and His Daughters. Image Source: Wikipedia

“I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them.” —Lot

Cliff notes: Angels travel to Sodom, and Lot greets them, inviting them into his house for refreshment. While at Lots house, a crowd of men (every man from the city) surrounds his home, demanding that Lot bring them his guests so that they can have sex with them. Lot refuses but offers his virgin daughters instead, saying “Do what you like with them”. The angry crowd refuses, and just before breaking down the door, the angels pull Lot inside the house and blinds the crowd. The angels tell lot to gather his family and flee the city, because they are going to destroy it. Lot hesitates, and the angel leads them out of the city himself, saying “Don’t look back.” Lot asks that he be allowed to flee to the nearby city of Zoar instead of into the mountains. The angels approve. Lot’s wife looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt for her disobedience. Lot, afraid of living in Zoar, decides to move to the mountains. Lot’s daughters, seeing that there were no other men around to give them children, decide to get their father drunk and have sex with him. They do this for two nights and both become pregnant by him.

Key places, names and events: Moabites, Ammonites

My takeaways: Super fucked-up story. Potential gang rape of men and virgin women, destruction of an entire area of cities, drunkeness, and incest. This whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and part of me can hardly believe a story like this is found in the bible. Then again, even though it was not explicitly stated, incest would have been necessary in the first chapters of Genesis, and God is no stranger to mass murder. Read an interesting perspective about the biblical origins of shifting the blame on to female family members. Perhaps this version of the story has told in order to preserve the shreds of Lot’s dignity.

Chapter 20

Abimelech rebuking Abraham. Image Source: Wikipedia

“You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.” —God

Cliff notes: Abraham moves to a new region. He says Sarah is his sister again. Abimelek takes Abraham’s wife. God is angry and threatens to kill Abimelek. Abimelek says, “I have done this with a clear concience”. God commands Abimelek to return Abraham’s wife. Abimelek confronts Abraham and asks why he was lied to. To appease God, Abimelek returns Sarah to Abraham as well as sheep, cattle, slaves, and silver. Abraham prays to God on Abimelek’s behalf and God heals his family of their infertility.

Key places, names and events: Kadesh, Shur, Gerar

My takeaways: Again, this business of Abraham lying to people saying that Sarah is his sister. And again, God threatening to punish the people that had no idea that she was actually his wife. Why should they be punished for Abraham’s lie?

Chapter 21

Hagar crying in the desert. Image source: Wikimedia

“Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” —Sarah

Cliff notes: Abraham’s son Isaac is born (He is now 100 years old). When Isaac is weaned, Sarah demands that Hagar and her son Ishmael are sent away. Abraham is troubled, but complies. Hagar wanders in the desert, runs out of supplies, and resigns herself to die. As she sits crying, God reveals a well of water nearby. Ishmael is saved and grows to manhood. Abraham and Abimelek strike a treaty.

Key places, names and events: Desert of Beersheba, Desert of Paran

Chapter 22

Cliff notes: God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham, being faithful and fearful of God, sets out the next morning to comply. His son comes along willingly, under the impression that they are to make a sacrifice, but has no inkling that it will be himself. After a time, Isaac speaks up and observes that, “We have all the supplies to make an offering, but there’s no animal. Abraham says, “God will provide.” At the mountaintop, Abraham binds his son, and is just about to slay him, when an angel calls out to stop him. A ram is found entangled in a thicket nearby. They sacrifice that instead. God is pleased because Abraham obeyed him.

My takeaways: I have held all my criticism on Abraham for this moment, because I believe this story is very telling. If you know only a little bit about modern psychology, look at Abraham objectively. If he is a real person, he probably suffered from auditory and visual delusions. It is the most simple explanation for his “visions”. He was extremely influential and wealthy person too, owning many slaves and animals. He has no problem lying to dignitaries (his wife is his sister). Abraham compels his entire household to mutilate their genitals (because his visions told him to do so). He has a full-on hallucination of three men/angels, and an argument with god. Abraham allows his wife to treat Hagar very poorly. And finally, Abraham’s visions tell him to kill Sarah’s only son—the one they both longed for. Abraham is a deranged and disturbing character.

Chapter 23

Cliff notes: Sarah dies. Abrahams asks the Hittites to sell him some land to bury his dead. The Hittites insist that he select whatever land he wants for free. Abraham asks to be sold land two more times, and the Hittites refuse to sell, saying “take it for free!” and then finally relenting and quoting 400 shekels. Abraham pays them 400 shekels.

Chapter 26

When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister…” —Isaac

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 27

Isaac Blessing Jacob by Nicolas-Guy Brenet

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” —Esau

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 28

Jacob’s Dream by Michael Willmann | Wikipedia

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 29

The Meeting Of Jacob And Rachel by William Dyce

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 30

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 31

Jacob leaves Laban

“Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” —Rachel

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 32

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Gustave Dore

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 33

Jacob and Esau embracing after many years | Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld’s

Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 34

Rape of Dinah by Alexandre Cabanel

Three days later, while all of [the men of the city] were still in pain [from their circumcision], two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 35

Mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel | Wikipedia

Jacob had twelve sons. The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 36

This is the account of the family line of Esau

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 37

The Coat of Many Colours by Ford Madox Brown | Wikimedia

Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” —Joseph’s Brothers

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 38

Judah and Tamar by Horace Vernet | Wikipedia

Whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 39

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife by Orazio Gentleschi

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 40

Joseph Interpreting the Cup-bearer’s Dream | Wikipedia

“Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.” —Joseph

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 41

Joseph interpreting the Pharaoh’s Dream by Arthur Reginald

“I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” —Pharaoh

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 42

Joseph and his Brothers by Anton Franz Maulbertsch | wga.hu

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 43

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 44

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 45

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 46

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 47

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 48

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Chapter 49

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

As you can see, this is yet another one of my half-baked blog post ideas that I only worked on half-way through. This is pretty typical throughout my blog, you’ll see. You don’t like it? TOO BAD! This place is a dumping ground for my musings. Sometimes I’m inspired to think and write, sometimes I’m not. Whatever. If you like what you started to read, LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS and maybe I’ll feel inspired to come back and finish!

Chapter 50

Cliff notes: None Yet

Key places, names and events: None Yet

My takeaways: None Yet

Genesis Again in Brief

The earth is created. The lives of Adam and Eve. The lives of Cain and Abel. The life of Noah and the ark. The tower of Babel. The life of Abram (Abraham). The life of Lot. The life of Isaac. The life of Jacob/Israel. The life of Joseph.

I think that the book of Genesis reveals what kind of “person” God is. In the beginning, God says that man is made in his image. Actually, I think that it’s reversed. God is made in man’s image, which explains an awful lot about the characteristics of God, because mankind is a deeply flawed species. In the stories above, we see that God is a suppressor of knowledge, jealous, petty, unforgiving, abusive, authoritarian, ignorant, judgmental, insecure, murderous, insane, player of favorites, territorial, prudish, and meddlesome.

Isn’t that funny? It kind of sounds like a description of humanity, not an all-powerful “loving” God.

Thank you 🙂 Maybe I will finish someday. It’s a lot of work! When I first wrote this I was a lot more anti-theist, but have softened somewhat since. I did really have fun looking for historical works of art that illustrated these stories. They are such rich illustrations.

True Falsehoods

If you came here looking for well-written, well-thought out posts, you’re in the wrong place. I’m just an average person looking for a place to publish my random, sometimes half-baked and disjointed musings.